Plantar Fasciitis: What Is It and How Can We Help?

Plantar fasciitis, also known as plantar fasciopathy, is a common cause of persistent heel pain affecting millions globally, including many in Dubai. While many patients find relief within 6 to 12 months with proper advice, this condition can become chronic and increasingly painful. This blog from The Treatment Room Dubai will provide insight into managing, improving, and eradicating your foot pain.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue running along the sole of your foot. It starts at the heel, runs along the arch, and connects with the base of each toe, stabilizing your foot when you walk and acting as a shock absorber. When irritated, it causes pain in your heel or the arch of your foot. Plantar fasciitis is most common in people aged 40 to 60, and about one in three people with the condition have it in both feet.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

You can develop plantar fasciitis if there is too much pressure on the band of tissue running along the sole of your foot. Factors that increase your risk include:

• Being overweight
• Having high arches or flat feet
• Performing high-impact activities like running or dancing
• Prolonged periods of standing or walking
• Footwear that inhibits normal foot and ankle motion
• Pregnancy

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in your heel or sometimes the arch of your foot. This pain is often worse in the morning when you first stand up and start walking after being in bed or sitting for a long time. Being on your feet all day, walking, standing, or running can also exacerbate the pain, which may be sharp initially but gradually lessens as you move around.

Diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis

At The Treatment Room Dubai, our physiotherapists diagnose plantar fasciitis by discussing your symptoms, examining your foot, and evaluating your general health and activity levels. We may also use diagnostic ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other causes of pain, such as a bone spur or neuroma.

What Does the Evidence Say?

There isn’t a large body of evidence supporting one treatment over another for plantar fasciitis. A true diagnosis supported by MRI or diagnostic ultrasound may show tearing or thickening of the plantar fascia tendon. Microdamage to the plantar fascia accumulates when exposed to abnormally high loads, leading to degenerative changes and increased pain.

How We Can Help

By following self-help tips, you are likely to recover completely within a year, though it may take six to eight weeks to see improvement. Here’s how you can manage your symptoms:

• Avoid standing or walking for long periods and cut down or stop activities that trigger your pain.
• If you’re a runner, switch to lower-impact exercises like swimming or cycling while your foot heals. Running on softer surfaces may also help.
• Wear shoes with good support. Laced sports shoes from brands like Brooks, Hoka, and Asics are recommended.
• Use insoles and heel pads for added support. A heel raise of 5mm can offload the painful plantar fascia.
• If overweight, aim to lose excess weight through diet changes and low-impact activities.
• Over-the-counter NSAIDs like ibuprofen can help with pain. In chronic cases, a course of Naproxen may be beneficial.

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

With self-help and professional treatment, plantar fasciitis usually resolves completely. If symptoms return, start treatment and self-help measures promptly.

A graduated exercise program is the gold standard for treating plantar fasciopathy. Here are some effective exercises:

The Role of the Big Toe

The plantar fascia plays a critical role in the windlass mechanism of the foot. Strengthening the big toe flexors can help. Use a theraband over the toe, drive the toe down, hold for 5 seconds, and then extend back. Perform 12-15 reps, three times, twice a day.

Stabilize the Medial Arch

Strengthening the tibialis posterior muscle can aid in controlling overpronation. Use a band around the foot, rotate the foot out, pull in and point the toes, hold for 3 seconds, and return. Perform 12-15 reps, three times, twice a day.

Importance of Soleus

Strengthen the soleus muscle by performing a bent-knee calf raise, holding for up to 20 seconds, resting for 10 seconds, and repeating 2-3 times. Repeat twice a day and increase reps as the tendon adapts.

Specialist Treatments

At The Treatment Room Dubai, we provide effective, evidence-based treatments to reduce pain and speed up recovery, including:

Shockwave Therapy

A non-invasive treatment that stimulates the body’s natural healing process. It releases growth factors in the injured tissue and reduces neovascularisation, significantly improving pain and function after 3-5 sessions.

Laser Therapy

Medical laser therapy is particularly helpful in the acute stages as a painless treatment with no side effects. It reduces heel pain irritation, allowing for the introduction of other treatments like strengthening exercises and foot orthoses.

Graded Exposure Loading Program

Exercise is key to rehabilitation. Our practitioners prescribe individualized programs to increase the demand on the plantar fascia tendon, strengthening it and restoring normal biomechanics.

What Not to Do

Steroid Injections

Steroid injections provide short-term pain relief but can lead to long-term issues like fat pad atrophy and increased pain. They can also weaken the plantar fascia, increasing the risk of tendon rupture.

Stretches for Plantar Fasciitis

Stretching exercises can worsen the condition by increasing compressive load on the tendon. Avoid stretching until the later stages of rehabilitation.

We hope you found this blog helpful. If you’re suffering from heel pain, contact The Treatment Room Dubai to book an appointment with our specialists.